Outrigger-thwart for canoes.



A. H. RIGGS.

OUTRIGGEB; THWART FOR GANOES.

APPLICATION Hum 001. 1-1, 1911.

1,037,990. Patented Sept. 10,1912.

W'W' I UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

ADDISONHH, areas, or BELMAR, NEW JERSEY.

ournreena-rnwnn'r FOB. canons.

- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I," ADDISON H. RIGGS, a citizen ofthe United States, residing in Belmar, in the county of Monmouth and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Outrigger- Thwarts for Canoes, of which the following is a specification. 9

-My present invention relates to an improvement in an outrigger thwart for small boats and the like, but is more especially adapted to canoes. This device is portable and can be temporarily or permanently-affixed to a boat of the class described and when removed is adapted 'to be folded so that it requires but a small storage space when not in. use.

One advantage of my device, when used in a canoe, is that-the operator is enabled to propel a canoe by means of oars instead of the usual and more difiicult method of paddling, especially in a strong Wind or rough water, thereby permit-ting an unskilled occupant, when alone in. said canoe, to propel the same in comfort and safety, as rowing requires little skill as compared with paddling.

A further advantage in this device is that when attached to canoes, which are usually of a very frail construction, it reinforces the sides of the said canoe and the thwart-s therein, and while easy to apply by means of the simple attaching means, to be hereinafter described, said attaching means firmly holds the outrigger thwart in rigid position at all times until removed.

Further advantages in this device are its adaptability to different sized canoes, as usually the greatest beam of the vessel varies in difl'erent makes and sizes, and after the device is attached as show-nit does not interfere with paddling in the usual manner and leaves the mode of propulsion entirely to ,theoption of the occupant.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a canoe with the device a tached. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device. Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the divided members. Fig- 4: is a sectional view, slightly reduced, of the canoe with the at tachment shown in Fig. 1, taken on the line 22 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 5 is a side view of a portion of the outrigger slightly enlarged, showing the method of attaching at the hinged points. Fig. 6 shows a modified form of clamping Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 11, 1911.

Patented Sept. 10, 1912 Serial No. 653,988.

or engaging means for engaging said outrigger on the gunwale of said boat. Fig. 7 is a side elevation, slightly reduced, shows ing a slidable engaging means. Fig. 8 is a portion of one of the outriggersshown with the slidable engaging means in position on said outrigger.

In Fig. -1 is shown a plan view of the canoe having an outrigger 1 attached to the canoe, generally denoted by 2, said outrigger being shown as being bent into substantially an annular or circumferential form and extending out and over some dis: tance beyond the sides of the said canoe. At the intersecting points between the device and the top of the gunwales, are shown the clamping or engaging members 3, 3, 3, 3. These engaging members, which may be of any suitable form, are here shown as being comprised of downward hanging, inwardly curved, engaging members 6, which may be permanently attached to the outrigger by means of bolts or screws 4, Fig. 6, wherein the device is shown as being held in engagement with the gunwale 5. I

. In Fig. is shown a plan view of the device slightly enlargedand in the same position that it occupies when attached to a boat, and is shown as being of a substan-- tially circular form and having mounted thereon a pair'of plates 7, 7, for carrying oarlocks 8, 8. These oarlocks are of the ordinary type and as indicated in Fig. 1,

are so arranged as to give a greater distance between their centers than the beam of the canoe ordinarily affords.

At the pivotal points 9, 9, Figs. 2 and 5, are shown hinges 10, 10, the said hinges being arranged on the under side, relatively, of said device and on the top side are arranged a pair of right-angled metal stop pieces 11, 11, which resist and prevent the downward or upward bending of the outrigger when the same is sprung into position on the said canoe, thereby giving a longer engaging surface 12 from the hinges upward and affording a means for main=v taining the curved members 1 rigidly horizontal. and in alinement under the tension of attachment of said outrigger. to the canoe.

In Fig. 3 a sliding clamping means 13 is shown in position to engage the gunwale of a canoe in about the same location as shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 8 a portion of the outrigger 1s shown as having slidably mounted thereon an attaching or clamping member 13, like that shown in Fig. 3, which may be moved to any position between the dividing or folding point 9 and the said oarlock 8 for the purpose of accommodating the varying widths that may be met wit-h in canoes, whereby, at the point of intersection of the said various widths with an outrigger of a given diameter, the adjustable clamp may be moved into engagement with the said canoe at the said intersections, thereby to hold the device in operable position. It is not entirely necessary to permanently fix this clamping means as shown in Fig. 1, for

the reason that in applying, the outrigger must be sprung into position, thereby being held under a tension and this tension between the outrigger and the engaging portion of the canoe causes said clamping means to be maintained in position without danger of shifting. As an indication of one method of construction of the said sliding clamp 13, Fig. 7 there is shown the outrigger engaging portion 13 in its present form as a hollow rectangular member, the same being fitted to said outrigger portion 1 and adapted to be slidable thereon, said rectangular portion having integral therewith a downwardly depending jaw 14 similar to jaw 6, Fig. 6, which engages the top streak on the gunwales at their under sides as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 lVhile the outrigger in its preferred form may be removably attached to a canoe, it is possible, when so desired, to permanently attach the same by means of screws or bolts '15, 16, 17, and 18, which may be put through the outrigger thwarts 19 and 20, or into the gunwales of the canoe if desired, thereby making the outrigger a permanent, rigid, circular fixture thereon.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. An outrigger thwart for canoes comprised of a pair of bent members, said members being divided and being hingedly attached to one another at said dividing points and having canoe engaging means thereon, whereby said outrigger may be removably attached to a canoe.

2. An outrigger'thwart for canoes comprised of a pair of bent pivoted members adapted to be folded against one another, engaging means on both said members whereby said outrigger may be removably upon said outrigger.

3. A removable outrigger for canoes, comprised of a divided support, hinges at the point of said division, and stops at the said dividing points located in opposition to said hinges whereby said divided members are held in a horizontal plane and rigidly locked in said plane when attached to said canoe.

4. An outrigger thwart for canoes comprised of a pair of divided circumferentially formed members, hinges connecting said members together whereby said members may be folded one against the other, and adjustable canoe engaging members mounted thereon.

5. An outrigger thwart for canoes comprised of a pair of divided curved members, hinges connecting said members together whereby said members may be folded one against the other, adjustable canoe engaging membersmounted thereon, and oarlocks on said. curved members.

6. An adjustable detachable outrigger for canoes, comprised of a substantially circumterentially formed member of greater circumference than the width of said canoe and divided so as to permit of folding, hinges attached thereto at said dividing points, alincmcntstops at said dividing points and arranged opposite to said hinges, oarlocks mounted on said circumferentially formed members, and slidably adjusting canoe engaging means mounted upon said circumferentially formed members for the purpose described.

7 A removable outrigger for canoes, comprised of a divided support, hinges at the point of said division, and locking-stops at the said dividing points located in opposition to said hinges whereby said divided members are held in a horizontal. plane and rigidly locked in said plane when attached to said canoe.

S. A. detachable outrigger for canoes, comprised of a substantially circularly formed member of greater width than the said canoe, means for attaching said circularly formed member to the gunwales of said canoe and oarlocks rigidly arranged on said circularly formed member and mounted for rotation.

ADDISON H. RIGGS. Vitnesses:

FRED. J. DOLE, ,JoHN MORRIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

